Compare towns
Peru vs Parma vs Colonie
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against New York.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Peru has the most affordable homes ($203k median).
Parma has grown the fastest since 2010 (+3.7%).
Colonie has the most people working from home (15.7%).
What matters to you?
Pick a few. We’ll pull those rows to the top and mark which town comes out ahead on each. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.
| Measure | Peru | Parma | Colonie |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 6,710Lowest |
16,111Highest |
7,702 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.2%Lowest NY: +4.2% |
+3.7%Highest NY: +4.2% |
-0.2% NY: +4.2% |
| Median age | 40.7±3.6 about the NY average |
40.4±3.3Lowest about the NY average |
43.4±1.8Highest 9% above NY |
| Colonie and Peru are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 21.8%±3.4 NY: 20.5% |
25.6%±3.3Highest NY: 20.5% |
20%±4.7Lowest NY: 20.5% |
| Parma and Peru are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 15.4%±3.6Lowest NY: 17.9% |
18.3%±2.1 NY: 17.9% |
20.9%±3.5Highest NY: 17.9% |
| Colonie and Parma are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 33.2%Lowest NY: 40.2% |
35.9%Highest NY: 40.2% |
35.7% NY: 40.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.3%±5.4 NY: 7% |
4.3%±1.2Lowest NY: 7% |
7.9%±3.3Highest NY: 7% |
| Colonie and Peru are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $101,771±$22k 18% above NY |
$93,558±$8kLowest 9% above NY |
$103,983±$6kHighest 21% above NY |
| Colonie and Peru are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $203,200±$38kLowest 52% below NY |
$220,000±$15k 48% below NY |
$285,400±$10kHighest 33% below NY |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,067±$173Lowest 34% below NY |
$1,216±$111 25% below NY |
$1,570±$157Highest 3% below NY |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,357 34% below NY |
$5,549Highest 16% below NY |
$3,712Lowest 44% below NY |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 54.8%±25.3Highest NY: 52.1% |
49.8%±15.2 NY: 52.1% |
35.3%±16.9Lowest NY: 52.1% |
| Peru and Parma are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 8.9%Highest NY: 14% |
8.1% NY: 14% |
7.5%Lowest NY: 14% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.7%Highest NY: 54.3% |
82.3% NY: 54.3% |
80.2%Lowest NY: 54.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976Highest 17 yrs newer than NY |
1976Highest 17 yrs newer than NY |
1965Lowest 6 yrs newer than NY |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 21 min 37% below NY |
22 minHighest 32% below NY |
17 minLowest 48% below NY |
| Work from home | 10.2%±4.7Lowest NY: 14.9% |
10.3%±2.2 NY: 14.9% |
15.7%±5.5Highest NY: 14.9% |
| Colonie and Parma are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #347 of 484 in NY | #88 of 484 in NY | — |
| School district | PERU CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT | HILTON CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT | — |
| High school in town | PERU HIGH SCHOOL | HILTON HIGH SCHOOL | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.7Lowest |
11.9Highest |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet |
NY average · Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024; 2010 & 2020 decennial census; NCES Common Core of Data. “±” is the Census margin of error. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. School rank compares math and reading proficiency against the state average.